Swatch Irony automatic chronograph - a mini review
Discussion
I can't find many user reviews of these, so I thought I'd post this.
I remember reading about these months ago on some website and being intrigued, but not looking to buy. I spotted one in a Swatch stand in a shopping centre and asked to try one on. Within about 30 seconds I handed over my credit card too.
It may be plastic, but it feels very well made and the strap is lovely. It is very light but very solid and is one of the most comfortable watches I have ever worn due to balance and the whole feel of the thing. It's probably the most comfortable, in fact.
I'm told that the movement is based on the Lemania 5100 with a significant number of plastic parts. All I know is that it supposedly has a 46 hour power reserve and so far it's excellently accurate. Don't expect beautiful decoration. In fact, most of the display back is translucent to hide this, with two transparent spots (shown in the photos). The rotor is inscribed with 'Swatch 15 Jewels Swiss Made'. The winding function is silky smooth, the sweep hand is very smooth in its motion too and the date is quick set and the second hand hacks.
All in all, it's a nicely made, superbly comfortable automatic Swiss chronograph with a date function and a sapphire crystal for around £250 retail and a lot less with online deals. I just thought I'd post these thoughts in case anyone is interested!
(Also, if anyone wants to order one online, I recommend any other than the one with a bracelet as the bracelet looked like something from a Vostok).
http://shop.swatch.com/GB/EN/Watches/Irony/Automat...
I remember reading about these months ago on some website and being intrigued, but not looking to buy. I spotted one in a Swatch stand in a shopping centre and asked to try one on. Within about 30 seconds I handed over my credit card too.
It may be plastic, but it feels very well made and the strap is lovely. It is very light but very solid and is one of the most comfortable watches I have ever worn due to balance and the whole feel of the thing. It's probably the most comfortable, in fact.
I'm told that the movement is based on the Lemania 5100 with a significant number of plastic parts. All I know is that it supposedly has a 46 hour power reserve and so far it's excellently accurate. Don't expect beautiful decoration. In fact, most of the display back is translucent to hide this, with two transparent spots (shown in the photos). The rotor is inscribed with 'Swatch 15 Jewels Swiss Made'. The winding function is silky smooth, the sweep hand is very smooth in its motion too and the date is quick set and the second hand hacks.
All in all, it's a nicely made, superbly comfortable automatic Swiss chronograph with a date function and a sapphire crystal for around £250 retail and a lot less with online deals. I just thought I'd post these thoughts in case anyone is interested!
(Also, if anyone wants to order one online, I recommend any other than the one with a bracelet as the bracelet looked like something from a Vostok).
http://shop.swatch.com/GB/EN/Watches/Irony/Automat...
Thanks for the endorsement!
There are also two other details I forgot to mention. The chronograph pushers have a lovely positive click and it makes a very satisfying ping noise when you start the chrono
Also the face isn't lumed and the markers are on the rehaut which took me a while to get used to. The minute and hour hands have a triangle of lume each which isn't brilliant but is acceptable and for the most part does the job.
There are also two other details I forgot to mention. The chronograph pushers have a lovely positive click and it makes a very satisfying ping noise when you start the chrono
Also the face isn't lumed and the markers are on the rehaut which took me a while to get used to. The minute and hour hands have a triangle of lume each which isn't brilliant but is acceptable and for the most part does the job.
I just wanted to update this by saying that disappointingly, the hour marker has stopped locating directly on zero when you reset and that it has developed an internal rattle. I plan to get it sorted out at my own leisure as a result of the 2 year international warranty.
Other than that, the case seems very resistant to scratches (especially since it's plastic!) and it's still a dream to wear on the wrist, despite the large size. It also keeps pretty good time (at least for the price).
I've only adjusted it once, and it was a minute out over two weeks. The only two other mechanicals I have in rotation are a Rolex and Omega (both new this year), and it's not that far off the Omega so I have no reason to complain about the accuracy.
Other than that, the case seems very resistant to scratches (especially since it's plastic!) and it's still a dream to wear on the wrist, despite the large size. It also keeps pretty good time (at least for the price).
I've only adjusted it once, and it was a minute out over two weeks. The only two other mechanicals I have in rotation are a Rolex and Omega (both new this year), and it's not that far off the Omega so I have no reason to complain about the accuracy.
Well, the man in the shop just said that it's a result of making the casing out of plastic, the strap out of imitation leather (which is a very good, comfortable approximation) and much of the movement from plastic. It also has very highly automated production, but I thought that that was the case for others too.
I really do like it, apart from the slightly drunk hour counter. If it were the minute or second counter I would have to get it sorted, but the hour counter doesn't need to be accurate and you can't really tell when the second hand is reset as it mostly covers it.
I really do like it, apart from the slightly drunk hour counter. If it were the minute or second counter I would have to get it sorted, but the hour counter doesn't need to be accurate and you can't really tell when the second hand is reset as it mostly covers it.
Vladimir said:
How do they make auto chronos for such little money?!!
Bear in mind that, once the development and tooling are paid for, the actual direct material cost of even a metal chronograph movement runs into pence. About 10 years ago Miyota had a "special" on their ubiquitous 2035 quartz movements (all metal, perfectly repairable, but why bother) to celebrate the 1 billionth off the line. Produced, shipped to the UK, and with profit for the importer and materials house included, they were doing them at 75 <i>pence</i> each. That's about 8 assorted wheels, a circuit, all the other bits <i>and</i> a fresh battery included.
If they've based this on the Lemania then most of the development and much of the tooling is paid for long ago. With the volumes that Swatch sell, they'll be expecting any extra "fixed" costs will be spread over several hundred thousand units - even if the extra costs run to a million that's maybe a tenner a watch they need to cover!
Variomatic said:
If they've based this on the Lemania then most of the development and much of the tooling is paid for long ago.
It's based in concept only, I don't think there're many 'shared' parts except around the balance, the cited reason for abandoning the 5100 was they had reached a point where they needed to replace the tooling (but it was more likely the agricultural blue-collar 5100 wouldn't have fitted Lemanias new home, nestled within Bregeut). To be honest it's my least favourite auto chrono movement, mainly because of the oft-repeated relationship with the 5100...They are clever in lug design. This will force buyers to replace the strap with an OEM one, for which they can charge wathever they like. And I can't imagine the strap being overly resilient at this price point, so you will probably have to replace quite often, even within the 2 year warranty period (for which I also imagine it is excluded as a 'consumable')
Cynical, maybe, but why else do this?
Cynical, maybe, but why else do this?
andy_s said:
It's based in concept only, I don't think there're many 'shared' parts except around the balance, the cited reason for abandoning the 5100 was they had reached a point where they needed to replace the tooling (but it was more likely the agricultural blue-collar 5100 wouldn't have fitted Lemanias new home, nestled within Bregeut). To be honest it's my least favourite auto chrono movement, mainly because of the oft-repeated relationship with the 5100...
Fair one, but the concept and balance account for a large proportion of the development of a movement. Once you have the overall layout, train counts, and something that keeps time a the business end, the rest is detail parts design which a good CAD package will almost do for you 
eta: The similarities seem to be a little more than "conceptual" from these photos!
Edited by Variomatic on Tuesday 19th November 14:35
Edited by Variomatic on Tuesday 19th November 14:37
Top post, very interesting.Very interesting to read, I have two of these, a dark blue one which looks the same as the OPs pic, but has blue face and strap, and a black one which looks very different as the case is black rather than clear plastic. The straps are very different quality, blue one is very nice but black one looks like cheap plastic (but is leather). I don't wear either of them very much but they are very nice, got mine both on Amazon some time ago and paid about £100 each as they were on offer at the time.
Oh, they undoubtedly redesigned individual parts for cost saving.
But the layout, the chrono mechanism, even the absurdly simple auto winding ratchet, and (probably - I haven't measured or counted them) the wheel sizes, centres, and train counts were already worked out by Lemania in the 1970s. Granted, they removed the centre chrono minutes hand but anyone 9and I do mean anyone) can remove bits from a watch - it's putting them in there that's the hard bit
The rest is trivial compared to "designing a movement", but it's not in Swatch Group's nature to say "We ripped off the design and found ways to make it cheaper" because (afaik) they haven't hired Gerald Ratner to handle their PR yet
eta: Incidentally, I don't see anything wrong with what they did - there was a need within the group that they fulfilled. As far as I'm aware, the resulting movement is perfectly adequate for the job (although I'm not convinced with the longevity of plastic escapements compared to jewels).
But for them to suggest it was some overwhelming development project that they completed against the odds is a bit like Sekonda trying to claim that their 3078 Sub lookalikee is a piece of groundbreaking original design!
But the layout, the chrono mechanism, even the absurdly simple auto winding ratchet, and (probably - I haven't measured or counted them) the wheel sizes, centres, and train counts were already worked out by Lemania in the 1970s. Granted, they removed the centre chrono minutes hand but anyone 9and I do mean anyone) can remove bits from a watch - it's putting them in there that's the hard bit
The rest is trivial compared to "designing a movement", but it's not in Swatch Group's nature to say "We ripped off the design and found ways to make it cheaper" because (afaik) they haven't hired Gerald Ratner to handle their PR yet
eta: Incidentally, I don't see anything wrong with what they did - there was a need within the group that they fulfilled. As far as I'm aware, the resulting movement is perfectly adequate for the job (although I'm not convinced with the longevity of plastic escapements compared to jewels).
But for them to suggest it was some overwhelming development project that they completed against the odds is a bit like Sekonda trying to claim that their 3078 Sub lookalikee is a piece of groundbreaking original design!
Edited by Variomatic on Tuesday 19th November 18:22
Variomatic said:
Oh, they undoubtedly redesigned individual parts for cost saving.
But the layout, the chrono mechanism, even the absurdly simple auto winding ratchet, and (probably - I haven't measured or counted them) the wheel sizes, centres, and train counts were already worked out by Lemania in the 1970s. Granted, they removed the centre chrono minutes hand but anyone 9and I do mean anyone) can remove bits from a watch - it's putting them in there that's the hard bit
The rest is trivial compared to "designing a movement", but it's not in Swatch Group's nature to say "We ripped off the design and found ways to make it cheaper" because (afaik) they haven't hired Gerald Ratner to handle their PR yet
eta: Incidentally, I don't see anything wrong with what they did - there was a need within the group that they fulfilled. As far as I'm aware, the resulting movement is perfectly adequate for the job (although I'm not convinced with the longevity of plastic escapements compared to jewels).
But for them to suggest it was some overwhelming development project that they completed against the odds is a bit like Sekonda trying to claim that their 3078 Sub lookalikee is a piece of groundbreaking original design!
No I agree, it's a very cheap but not too bad movement, in fact the L5100 was born from austerity as well, a cheaper to produce L1340; people associate the 'plastic' (DuPonts Delrin) as part of this cheapness but Pigeut and Baumgartner (of Cal 321 & 861 fame) made deliberate design decisions including the use of Delrin, an auto-lubricant polymer, the pillar construction, the stamped parts etc but ended up with a robust and respected movement that had the huge readability advantage of the central hand. Swatch/ETA, for me, robbed the movement of it's best dial side feature, used plastic extensively and punted it as a 5100 evolution although it lacks the central hand, the vertical clutch and rotary cam/column wheel amongst other things. But the layout, the chrono mechanism, even the absurdly simple auto winding ratchet, and (probably - I haven't measured or counted them) the wheel sizes, centres, and train counts were already worked out by Lemania in the 1970s. Granted, they removed the centre chrono minutes hand but anyone 9and I do mean anyone) can remove bits from a watch - it's putting them in there that's the hard bit
The rest is trivial compared to "designing a movement", but it's not in Swatch Group's nature to say "We ripped off the design and found ways to make it cheaper" because (afaik) they haven't hired Gerald Ratner to handle their PR yet
eta: Incidentally, I don't see anything wrong with what they did - there was a need within the group that they fulfilled. As far as I'm aware, the resulting movement is perfectly adequate for the job (although I'm not convinced with the longevity of plastic escapements compared to jewels).
But for them to suggest it was some overwhelming development project that they completed against the odds is a bit like Sekonda trying to claim that their 3078 Sub lookalikee is a piece of groundbreaking original design!
As I said, it's my least favourite auto chrono - but purely from the pov of its constant comparison to the 5100, which as a final product is quite far away - (I am biased and realise that!
). As you say, it actually does a good enough job in those Tissot chronos, but it wasn't a development of the 5100 in my view, development as in 'progression'. You have to take your hat off though, a few pounds for an auto chrono is not a bad design / thing in and of itself.
eta: And it was 1974 for the first L5100, not 1978, although it was then an Omega 1045...
Edited by andy_s on Tuesday 19th November 21:15
Dempsey1971 said:
They are clever in lug design. This will force buyers to replace the strap with an OEM one, for which they can charge wathever they like. And I can't imagine the strap being overly resilient at this price point, so you will probably have to replace quite often, even within the 2 year warranty period (for which I also imagine it is excluded as a 'consumable')
Cynical, maybe, but why else do this?
Swatch have had this design for years. Loads of cheap after market and original straps on ebay.Cynical, maybe, but why else do this?
I think that word "development" may have been where we were at odds. I agree it's not a progression from the Lemania, minly because of the backwards step in dial features. Had they retained that then I would have been happy to defend it as "next in family". But I'd still call it a development in that it borrows so much, in both ethos and execution, from the 5100.
I've always had a soft-spot for the 5100 in the same way I have a (very grudging) respect for mechanical Timex and Ansonia clocks. Building products down to a price, without seriously impacting performance or longevity in practical terms, is a worthy design philosophy - which usually comes at the expense of the poor sod who eventually has to repair them! Fortunately, that's not an issue with the Swatch incarnation
As for how a movement designed to that philosophy ever got to wear an Omega signature, that's probably a question best left unanswered!
I've always had a soft-spot for the 5100 in the same way I have a (very grudging) respect for mechanical Timex and Ansonia clocks. Building products down to a price, without seriously impacting performance or longevity in practical terms, is a worthy design philosophy - which usually comes at the expense of the poor sod who eventually has to repair them! Fortunately, that's not an issue with the Swatch incarnation
As for how a movement designed to that philosophy ever got to wear an Omega signature, that's probably a question best left unanswered!
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